Turn-table for surface-contact electric railways



(No Model.)

E. M. HEWLETT. TURN TABLE FOR SURFACE CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

' Patented June 8,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

EDIVARD M. HEYVLETT, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK.

TURN-TABLE FOR SURFACE-CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,997, dated June 8, 1897.

Application filed November 18, 1896. Serial No. 612,585. (N model) To all whom it new concern: cu it with the pick-u p coils of the switches G G, Be it known that I, EDWARD M. HEWLETT, The particular arrangement of connections a citizen of the United States, residing at is not of my invention. K is, as before, the Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, turn-table. This is provided with studs or 5 5 State of New York, have invented certain sectional conductors B B C C Each of new and useful Improvements in Turn-Tables these contacts or studs has connected with it for Surface-Contact Electric Railways, (Case two auxiliary contacts 5' c, (to. The contacts No. 47 8,) of which the following is a specifi- B C are upon the upper surface of the turncation. table, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they fur- 6o 10 My invention relates to surface-contact sysnish current and takeit from the shoes of the toms of supply for electric roads, and has for motor-car when it is run on the table. Other its object to provide for suchasystematurncontacts N N are also provided, these being table upon which the car may be reversed. located below the turn-table and being re- In the operation of single-track closed-conspectively connected to the positive side of 5 duit systems, where the cars do not need to the circuit through the switches G and to the be turned, no difficulty arises from crossing negative side through the pick-up coil on the of contacts; but where it is necessary to reswitches. By the arrows I have shown the verse the car at the end of the trip this procrotation of the table and the alteration it ess involves some method of reversing the makes in the contacts. This is as follows: 20 connections either on the car or in the road- When the car runs on the table, the positive way. The latter being impracticable, itis deshoe will be in connection with the studs or sirable that the sliding contacts or shoes by contacts B B and the negative with the studs which current is taken from one set of conor contacts C C so that the switches G G tacts and delivered to the other for operating would be picked up. hen the current 25 the switches should be connected by some through the motors fails, the switches fall. form of reversing-switch. This is common At this time the switch shifting the shoes in the art and is not claimed in this applicawould be changed, and the turn-table would tion. lVhen this change has been effected, then be revolved. The contact B then takes however, and the car has been reversed by a the place of the contact 0, and vice versa. 3o turn-table, the high-potential and low-poten- The contact 0 takes the place of the contact tial or positive and negative studs or sectional B and vice versa. One of the auxiliary conconductors on the turn-table must also he retaets 22 would then break contact with the versed, it being necessary that they should feedercontact N and the other contact I) agree with those on the roadway outside. It would make contact-with the feeder-contact 35 is to provide a mechanism capable of eifect- N, the reverse operation taking place with ing this reversal by the simple rotation of the the auxiliary contacts 0 c. A similar change turn-table itself that I he ve devised the prestakes place with the contact C and the auxent invention, which is illustrated in the aciliary contacts 0 which are shifted to the pocompanying drawings, which are partly diasition of the contacts 12 they taking the place 5 4o grammatic. I of those at 0 The sum of the changes is that 1; Figure 1 is a diagram of the turntable as the high-potential studs B B are now in the 5 it appears in practice, and Fig. 2 a plan with position of the low-potential studs 0 0 still the circuit connections shown in diagram. remaining-in contact with the shoe on the In Fig. 1, K is a turn-table provided with motor-car, the polarity of which, however, is 5 p l 45 the contact-buttons B C and with the usual changed, it being on the negative side of the l rails and surrounding pit, also with a latch L, circuit, whereas it was formerly on the posi- 1 the construction being common and well untive. A corresponding change takes place derstood. with the contacts C C which are made posi- In Fig. 2, A A are the track-rails, B B the tive to accord Withthepositive polarity of the mo 50 positive sectional conductors, and C C the shoe with which they are in contact.

negative or low-potential conductors in cir- So far as I am aware I am the first to devise a turn-table for such systeins'as I have described provided with contacts which are reversed in polarity by the simple act of rotating the turn-table, so as to adapt the car to run in the opposite direction with no change in its operation; and I desire to make broad claims.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a surfacecontact electric railway, sectional conductors in the roadway, a turntable, studs upon the turn table, contacts above and below the turn-table and switches in circuit with the conductors and contacts, whereby by the operation of the turn-table the invariable relation of the contacts on the turntable and in the railway is preserved,as herein set forth.

2. Ina turn-table fora surface-contact railway, the combination of permanent contacts of opposite polarities, exposed studs upon the turn-table, and intermediate contacts operating by the rotation of the turn-table to reverse the relation of the exposed studs and the permanent contacts thereby to reverse their polarities.

3. A turn-table for a surface-contact railway, provided with contacts or studs of differing polarities connected permanently to the circuit-operating switches, and sliding contacts or studs located beneath the turntable and cooperating with said contacts or studs of differing polarities, and acting by the rotation of the turn-table to reverse the polarity of the sectional conductors thereon.

4. A turn-table for a surface-contact railway, comprising contacts permanently connected to the circuit-operating switches and located beneath the turn-table, sliding contacts cooperating therewith, and also located beneath the turn-table, and sectional conductors upon the turn-table connected to the sliding contacts, the relation of the parts being such that the rotation of the turn-table reverses the relation of the exposed contacts and those permanently connected to the switches.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of November, 1896.

EDIVARD M. HEIVLETT.

lVitnesses:

B. B. HULL, G. L. HAYNES. 

